Life in Technicolor
by soaring bubblegum
Summary: Hadriana Dorea Potter was an ancient lady. Girl-Who-Lived, Chosen One, Vanquisher of Evil. She was also terribly bored. What better to do than to go back to the past and maybe get rid of a very young Dark Lord in the making? Nothing, right? That's what she thought.


**A/N: Hello there, dearest readers. Do not fret, I am indeed actually working on _Book of the Facts_ but I had a bit of a writer's block so I started this to get a bit of a distraction from my frustration. This fanfic pictures a female Harry (which will be called either Hadriana or Boudicca), so please, refrain from mean reviews about this topic since you've been warned. Thank you.**

* * *

**Life in Technicolor**

**Chapter One**

**_What If_ and _Lost!_**

* * *

"_So we rode down to the river where the toiling ghosts spring_

_For the curses to be broken_

_We go underneath the arches where the witches are in the saying_

_There are ghost towns in the ocean."_

_Cemeteries of London - Coldplay_

* * *

Hadriana Dorea Potter coughed as the magical fumes rising up from a rather shady-looking rune circle engraved on the floor rushed into her lungs. Seriously, Hadriana loved and relished in the study of Ancient Runes and she was particularly fond of Odin's rune but at the same time when it was used it usually caused strange _complications_. Like right now.

With narrowed eyes the Girl-Who-Lived, not so much a girl since she had been married and had had obnoxious children, swept her gaze around her. She sniffed delicately when she discovered that, of course, she was in the middle of a bloody _cemetery_. In London, she hoped. Oh please, sweet Circe, let it be London.

The polluted air and grey sky soothed her worries and she let out a hum of quiet laughter. She had done it, of course, bloody Girl-Who-Lived couldn't fail at something like this. Time travelling was a rather untouched art since the Ministry had hoarded all the time turners in her time and they had been destroyed, after all. So here she was, using dear Odin's rune to travel back in time, leaving her grandsons and granddaughters behind. They would be fine, obviously, after all no one had time to look after sweet old Hadriana Potter. Girl-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, Vanquisher of Evil, inventress of over a good hundred new spells, jinxes and curses and actually having surpassed Albus Dumbledore's age.

Blinking, she realised she would miss Fawkes' company after all. Maybe she should have brought the lovely old phoenix with her, but no, that would cause a paradox after all and it was disturbance enough to Lord Time for her to be here in the middle of a war between Light and Dark. _Yet again_. Still, when the magical bird had returned to her some years after Albus' death she had been extremely happy.

Her lips curled in a sad smile in remembrance of her dear husband. When they had announced that Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hadriana Dorea Potter were going to be wed many had fainted. She could remember some mild heart attacks too. She chuckled. Dear Narcissa had been delighted by the news and had started to tell her that she should call her mother or nothing at all. Hadriana had been flabbergasted at this but conceded nonetheless.

Now, Lucius Malfoy had been another story. They had talked in his study in Malfoy Manor for quite a long period of time, not necessarily speaking of the wedding but rather idle chatter that had succeeded in making both closer to each other. After all, she was the one who pleaded to the Wizengamot so that he would be released because of the threats Lord Voldemort, dearest Tom, had used against him. She had also cleared all suspicion from dear Narcissa's case.

Over the years they had made a rather interesting family. Of course, Draco insisted they had a painting made that depicted them together, and some apart with either Lucius or Narcissa. Hadriana had agreed anyway because –she smiled- what a Malfoy wants a Malfoy gets. After all, Draco had managed to worm a way through her jaded heart.

Hadriana yelped when something fell flat on her face and grabbed at it furiously. She stared blankly at the item in her hands and snorted in amusement. The Invisibility Cloak had decided to stay with its master it would seem. Thank Ignotus Peverell for the damned Cloak. Wait, in this time it was a Potter heirloom. Would it be missing from its original place or…? Maybe the Potters didn't believe this was actually the Invisibility Cloak from the tale.

The wind turned rather chilly and the Mistress of Death sighed, it would be better to leave this place. She wasn't fond of cemeteries after all, so she glided towards the nearest newspapers booth and looked at the date while smiling charmingly at the shopkeeper who just eyed her with a wary glance and decided it would be best to ignore this rather loony client. After all, who in all bloody London wore those kinds of clothes?

She confirmed the date and smiled smugly to herself. Well, now she had to get to the lovely Leaky Cauldron –she wondered if Tom was there- and access Diagon Alley. Hadriana needed a new vault in Gringotts and with all the money she had taken from the future she was sure they would be delighted to make business with her.

First, she needed a fake name. She couldn't just be calling herself a Potter since she didn't exist in this time. Boudicca would be fine as a name and amusing as well since not many bothered to study ancient magical history. Enna sounded nice enough and it meant soul –Hadriana chortled at the irony- and now she needed a surname. Foreign would be better, of course, and if she was to poke at Gellert's interest she best pick one from the northern part of Europe.

Boudicca Enna von Dietrich. Hadriana hummed pleasantly in approval and gave herself a mental pat on the back. She needed to clear her background and provide a valid reason for her hasty scape from Germany. The raging war would suffice somewhat but she would need to polish the loopholes as much as she could. After all, both Albus and Tom were geniuses and wouldn't let it slide. Hadriana was tempted to just spill the beans to her former Headmaster but she knew it wouldn't be wise.

Hadriana disappeared in a swirl of crows and reappeared before the entrance of the lovely Leaky Cauldron. It hadn't changed much, she mused silently. It was shadier that it had been in the past but it was to be expected anyways so she smiled winningly to the barmaid and asked for a room for the night politely. The barmaid, her name was Juniper, kept shooting her strange glances. After all, what was the business of a pureblood in a place like the Leaky Cauldron?

With her sleeping arrangements done she tapped the brick that opened the way towards the one and only Diagon Alley. She revelled in the swarms of magic that pulsed gently through the place and the coming and going of wizarding folk. With a pleasant smile on her face she glided towards Eeylop's Owl Emporium.

Pushing the door gently she nodded once towards the shopkeeper and started browsing. A white snowy owl caught her attention and she smiled fondly at the memory of dear Hedwig. She did miss her after all but this one was male. Nevertheless she made a delicate gesture towards the shopkeeper and dropped the sufficient amount of money in his awaiting hands. She let out the owl and it perched on her right shoulder comfortably.

The shopkeeper looked at her strangely but shrugged it off, as it wasn't his problem what she did with that owl anyhow. While petting the owl absentmindedly she shrunk the cage and pocketed it.

"I think your name is to be Archimedes, hm. What do you think?" she asked the male owl –now Archimedes- while it nipped her ear in agreement. "Yes, yes. You do have those mathematician's eyes after all."

She glided out of the store, catching a few curious glances, and strode purposefully towards the most interesting bank in all her life. Lives. Whatever. The entrance was as grand as she had remembered. Her eyes wandered to the beautiful letters engraved on marble.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there._

Dearest goblins were too naïve. Gringotts could be robbed. Merlin's beard, she had gotten inside and found a Ukrainian Ironbelly in the depths of the wizarding bank. Poor creature had been leashed like a dog and mistreated daily. While she did not agree with goblin's point of view of handling business she did understand it to some extent.

Walking towards the nearest free goblin she smiled charmingly at him and bowed her head politely while pleasantly greeting him in Gobbledegook. This sent a few startled goblin glances at her but she merely continued smiling until the goblin in front of her smirked in amusement and returned the greeting.

"I would like to open a vault and deposit a rather significant amount of goods in it, if it would please you. I took the liberty of bringing a phial with my blood in it since you would be needing it, yes?" She blinked and seemed to realise something. "Oh, my name is Boudicca Enna von Dietrich, by the way. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The amusement never left the goblin's face while he nodded at the possibly quite loony witch before him. "Of course, Madam von Dietrich. Now, let us commence the act of opening your vault. A personal one, yes?" At her nod he hummed. "Good, we will need the phial which will provide your lineage to us and we will produce the key to it. Would you also like one of us?" He asked slyly.

Hadriana –now Boudicca- grinned, teeth showing, and hummed in consent. "Yes, that would be quite nice, wouldn't it? Yes, yes. I do trust whatever I will put in your care dear…" she frowned at him because she really didn't know his name.

"Bogrod, Madam von Dietrich. A pleasure." He answered without looking up from the parchment he was scribbling on. She peered curiously at it and twitched her nose when she saw it was information about her. Age, height, weight, blood purity, family and, of course, the amount of money she would put in their care.

"Ah, you must be Lord Adalwulf's von Dietrich's daughter. A good business partner of us, yes." He scribbled some more and smirked. "Very old blood, Madam. Connected to Salazar Slytherin and the Peverells, indeed. Of course distantly connected with the Black family. I suppose your esteemed father decided it was time to have a vault of your own, yes?" Bogrod asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Yes, _Vater_ was quite adamant I start managing my own money, you see? I understand that _Vater_ wants me to be successful on my own and I will live up to his standards." She sniffed disdainfully. "Unlike British aristocracy _we_ Germans like to be able to live without the coddling of a ripe family vault, _ja_?"

Archimedes ruffled his feathers and Boudicca smirked.

* * *

The first years were glancing at her with plain curiosity in their innocent eyes. Poor things, maybe she should encourage them in some way? Or maybe let them to suffer until they discovered that they had to put an old hat on their heads and talk to it. Really, such an anticlimactic way of sorting younglings into houses.

"Say, lady. Do you know what'll happen in the sorting?" Some little runt asked nervously, his face scrunched up in fear and anticipation.

She nodded sagely and put up a mask of slight worry. "Yes, child. There's this troll-"

"_What_?"

"A troll?"

"Like, for real?"

"I don't feel good."

"B-but we're _first years_!"

"How can we…"

"I think I'm going to faint."

Boudicca smirked evilly behind one pale and elegant hand. Oh, let them suffer. This was rather too amusing to pass up. Poor little first years, they were in for a gargantuan disappointment. Or relief.

She watched silently as Albus Dumbledore, Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts in this time, let the little herd of dismayed children inside the Hall to start the sorting. Oh, Morgana. Was the Hat singing? She shuddered. Awful.

The fake von Dietrich listened as the Sorting Hat placed the students in their respective houses while practically bouncing on her feet. When she had been Headmistress of Hogwarts, first one in all history of course, she had enjoyed talking to the damned Hat.

"Now, the delightful surprise of this year, dear students, is that we have a transfer student from Drumstrang. Her name is Boudicca von Dietrich. Please, let her feel welcome no matter in which house she is placed." Boomed Albus' voice. "Now, please dear, come here."

Boudicca let the typical pureblood mask take over her face and she corrected her poise and manners while gliding forwards gracefully to meet the Deputy Headmaster in the middle of the Hall. He gestured gently towards the Sorting Hat and she nodded once.

She sat on the stool and placed the Hat carefully on her head, almost letting a smirk though her mask. Why, hello there.

_Oh? Who knew you would succeed in travelling though time Madam Potter. Who, indeed. Now, let us talk yes?_

Of course, I have missed you somewhat you know, old rugged Hat. So, where to this time, hm?

_Well, this is rather difficult, dear. For you are hardworking and loyal, intelligent, brave and cunning. You can go to whatever House you desire, but take heed, you will need companionship. Do not let yourself be lonely._

No promises, but I will try. I have not come here to make friends, you know this. Since I'm posing as a pureblood Hufflepuff will do me no good. Gryffindor is not a good choice either. So that leaves us Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

_That it does. I'm still leaving the decision to you, dear. You have always known that Slytherin's House would make you reach greatness. Ravenclaw will also help you, but your cunning is rather… ah. Scary, if I may._

Of course. Slytherin would be good then, since what I have come for is there. By the way, avoid Albus as best you can.

_I'm but a simple hat, dear. I will do what I can._

"SLYTHERIN!"

* * *

**Reviews and favourites and alerts are most welcome.**


End file.
